Pre-war Lagonda barnfind emerges

A rare 1939 Lagonda V12 two-door saloon with coachwork by Hooper has been unearthed following 13 years in storage. It will headline Silverstone Auctions' NEC sale in Birmingham on 12 April.

The car was initially built for the wife of the owner of Hooper Bodies Ltd, and was placed into storage just weeks later due to the outbreak of war. It remained entombed until 1952, when it was bought by Harry Ellard. At that time it had 19,266 miles on the clock.

Ellard was a serial collector of classic cars; of his 40-strong fleet, six were Lagondas. Following his death, the group was eventually sold at auction in 1984, when the 1939 car took centre stage on the cover of the catalogue. It eventually changed hands in 2001 and was once again placed in long-term storage.

The highly original, matching-numbers car is being put up for auction for the second time in its 75 years by Silverstone Auctions and is estimated to fetch between £75-100,000. It has now covered 40,000 miles and will be sold with its original registration number "FLD 1".

Managing director of Silverstone Auctions Nick Whale said: “We’re very proud to play a part in the car’s unique history. Lagonda was one of Britain’s finest luxury marques and this model’s fascinating history is sure to raise the interest of potential owners.”